THE LITTLE RABBIT WHO LIKED TO SAY MOO

Age Range: 4 - 6

Allen’s big, simple pictures of smiling farm animals give this invitation to a collective Moo-Along unusual appeal. Because “rabbits don’t have a big noise,” Little Rabbit belts out a “MOO.” This draws Calf, who asks if Rabbit has any other noises. The two proceed to “BAAA” until Lamb comes along—whereupon the three snort “OINK OINK OINK.” In the illustrations, the sounds take up more and more space as the chorus swells; even very young audiences will pick up on the simple pattern quickly and be ready to join in as successive creatures appear. In the end, all decide that they like their own sounds best—except for Little Rabbit, who signals a continuing exploration of alternate voices with a mighty “WOOF!” Tales of animals with lost or mixed-up calls aren’t exactly rare on library shelves—Ivor Baddiel’s Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack! (2007), illustrated by Allie Busby, is just one of several recent examples—but this one is a particularly crowd-pleasing iteration. (Picture book. 4-6)